Frank Batten Jr.

Chairman, Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C.


Education & Training
M.B.A., Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia
B.A., History, Dartmouth College

Frank Batten Jr. is the chairman of Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C., which is based in Norfolk.

Landmark is a technology company that sells software and information services to auto dealers, motorcycle dealers, real estate agents, hotels and franchisors. Landmark also owns a majority interest in Digital Envoy, an information service that provides the geographic location of IP addresses.

Landmark Media Enterprises was spun off from Landmark Communications, Inc. in September 2008 as part of the sale of The Weather Channel. Batten became chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications in 1998.

From 1995 to 1997, Batten was executive vice-president of Landmark Communications, with responsibility for corporate development and new ventures.

From 1991 to 1995, Batten was president and publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, the daily newspaper in Norfolk. During 1990 and 1991, he served as marketing director and then as vice president and associate publisher of the newspaper.

From 1986 to 1989, he was general manager and then publisher of The News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Before that, he was a reporter for The Associated Press in London, England for 18 months.

His first position was at The Roanoke Times & World-News, where he worked as a reporter for two years and as an advertising salesman for one year.

Batten received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1980 from Dartmouth College. He received an M.B.A. in 1984 from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Batten is president of The Landmark Foundation, a private foundation that supports human services, educational and environmental charities in the Norfolk area. Landmark Communications provided the funding that endowed The Landmark Foundation.

Batten serves on the boards of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the Access College Foundation, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, the Slover Library Foundation, the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation, and the Batten School Foundation. He formerly served on the boards of Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk Christian Schools and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.